Ever After High: The Adventures of Aaron Holmes
by epistemophiliac
Summary: Aaron Holmes, the son of Sherlock Holmes, is a student attending Ever After High. He is extremely cunning, curious, and intelligent with an undying love for science and knowledge, however; he is also very cynical and spends most of his days isolated in the library. Follow Aaron on his adventures as he discovers the things one cannot learn from books.
1. A Logical Approach

Logic, science, knowledge… These are the things I truly adore. Everyday I yearn to learn and understand everything about our universe and how it works through observation and experimentation. Emotions? Who needs such petty and irrational beasts?

My name, which I assume you already know, is Aaron Holmes, son of the great consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes. My mother, Irene Adler, left me upon his doorstep when I was just an infant. He had no choice but to take me in, no matter how detestable a young child was in his eyes. Uncle John, of course, was quite surprised by my sudden appearance and ensured Father would not use me for his experiments and would immediately quit his unwholesome addictions. Uncle Mike (he hates it when I call him that) found it very amusing and a relief to see his brother with a child of his own; thought it would make Father more human and give him a sense of responsibility.

Am I a rebel or a royal? Well, I have a tendency to avoid any kind of petty politics and I certainly dislike to describe myself (or anything for that matter) with any kind of dogmatism. But if I were to logically analyze myself and my desires, I would say that I am most likely a rebel. Unlike my father, I find detective work to be meaningless and unfulfilling; I'm more of a scientist with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. While my father is more down to earth and concerns himself with present details and facts (which makes him a great detective), I find myself to be more interested in abstract theories and what might be possible. So do I want to sign the storybook of legends? No, probably not. My cousin on the other hand, Michaela Holmes, is a devout royal (and avid intellectual) and often gets on my nerves with her incessant hounding over my apathetic behaviour and cynicism.


	2. A Study in Hearts

I can recall one day explicitly where I was alone in the library, as usual, with my nose buried in a book titled "The Mad Semantics of Riddlish" that I had picked up out of curiosity. I was sipping a cup of Earl Grey when Michaela entered the library and approached me in her usual, annoying fashion till she stood clear in front of me.

"Hello, cousin mine." I said, keeping my eyes glued to the text.

"Aaron, you know why I'm here."

"And _you_ know that I needn't go to che-myth-stry class; you and I both are more capable in the subject than every idiot in this entire school, including Professor Rumpelstiltskin himself."

"Like it or not, Aaron," she said, snatching the book from my hands as I sighed, "you need to attend your classes and get credit for them. You can know everything in the universe and have the highest IQ in the world, but it will all be meaningless if you are unable to show a sense of responsibility and tolerance for others."

"My responsibility is to learn, not loaf around in a class surrounded by imbeciles who care only about parties and petty social politics and nothing about knowledge and true learning."

Michaela sighed.

"You may not realize this, but you could really learn a great deal from them. There's a lot you don't understand about the world that you simply cannot learn from reading books."

"Right," I said with a sarcastic tone, snatching the book back. "And there's an invisible purple cat floating around in this very room… Michaela, I believe you have a che-myth-stry class to attend."

She glanced at her watch as I opened the book back to where I had left off.

"Aaron, I worry about you."

I ignored this remark and silently began to read as she scurried away to class… Finally, peace and quiet. Or so I thought.

"I know you're behind me attempting to play some silly trick," I said.

The girl let out a small meow, disappeared and materialized in front of me holding the cup of tea I had previously been drinking.

"How in Wonderland did you ever see me?"

"I didn't, I simply observed and made a deduction using logic. And you must be Kitty Cheshire, I presume. A purple cat, how ironic."

Kitty's sly smirk slowly faded as she stared dumbfounded at my expressionless face still stuck in the book.

"How did you know my name? I've never met you in a single one of my nine lives!"

"Really, come now, you aren't that stupid are you? Let's start with the obvious: you let out a meow, you said 'Wonderland' as if it were second nature, and your silly smile especially gives it away. For further evidence, I noticed your catlike hair in the place of where my tea cup had sat seconds before, and anyone could smell the tuna on your breath from a mile away."

She awkwardly cupped her hand and sniffed her breath.

"...and I needn't tell you how many times I've read Alice in Wonderland before."

I continued before she could speak.

"You were going to pour my tea on me, weren't you? And then disappear to watch my reaction from a safe distance? How predictable and boring. You should be more creative than this next time. Can I please have my tea back now?"

She placed the teacup on the table and I looked up at her.

"Who are you…?" she asked.

"I'm…"

"Aaron Holmes? Son of the great consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, correct?"

A young girl clad in red approached us accompanied by a young man with burgundy hair and freckles.

"Yes, I am he, your majesty-to-be. And this must be Hopper Croakington… II?"

"Um… Yeah, that's me." said Hopper, tripping over his words.

"Lizzie, what are you doing here?" asked Kitty.

"Hopper and I have come…"

"...seeking my supposed detective abilities passed down from my father?"

"...yeah, that."

"Sorry, but no."

"But you have yet to even hear what we have to say!"

"No, not interested, sorry." I said as I turned back to my book, hoping they would leave.

"Listen to me," exclaimed Lizzie "or… or it's off with your head!"

At this point the librarians both stood up and simultaneously shushed her.

"Fine," I conceded, "but make it quick. I intend to finish this book some time today if you don't mind."

"Well, it's Daring, he's missing."

"Missing?" interrupted Hopper. "It… It was clearly you who did something to him!"

"What are you talking about? I would never do anything to harm him; you should be grateful that I, the future Queen of Hearts, is helping you to find him at all! Otherwise, it would be off with your…"

The librarians shushed her again.

"He's probably off slaying some dragon. Solved. Now will you please leave me alone."

"But he only vanished today without a word, and there was a strange message left in our room," said Hopper.

I raised my eyebrow at this and looked to Kitty who was silently standing in front of me.

"Hm… I think this may be interesting then," I said with a smirk. "But Kitty will have to help me."

"How could I help you?" asked Kitty.

"Does it matter?" said Lizzie, "As long as he's helping _us_ to find Daring, that's all that matters."

"She's right…" added Hopper.

I stood up and they all three looked at me.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? Take me to his room already."

Shortly after, we arrived in Daring's room, which he shared with Hopper. His mirror was shattered with pieces scattered around the floor, and written in red lipstick upon the shards remaining in the wooden frame was the word "HERZEN" encased by a large, red heart. Hopper pointed to it and continued with his idiotic accusations.

"You see th… there? Lizzie clearly has something to do with this! That's German for hearts!"

"I haven't done anything to Daring! Quit accusing me of something I didn't do!"

As they continued their petty fiasco, I knelt down and started to examine the floor, and then, of course, the lipstick on the mirror. I smudged it with my finger and tasted it. Then I turned around to the bickering twosome, walked between them, leaned forward, and kissed Lizzie on the lips.

Yes, I know I could've examined her lipstick from the tube, but this was much more interesting and included the bonus of them quickly shutting up. Kitty was especially enjoying this as her face lit up with a grin from ear-to-ear in mischievous merriment.

I leaned back from the kiss, to the now silent, and quite surprised, Hopper and Lizzie.

"It's very improbable that Lizzie has anything to do with this. The lipstick on the broken mirror is of candelilla wax while Lizzies is of beeswax and the fragrance and taste is entirely different…"

"...taste?" Lizzie began to blush.

"Lizzie's is of rose petals while the one on the mirror is, I think, of apples. I also inspected the shoe-prints left on the floor; the perpetrator, I suspect, was a young female of small stature wearing high-heels, but her shoe size is smaller than that of the Princess of Hearts'. I think Lizzie was set-up."

"But who would set her up?" asked Hopper.

"Well, Mr. Hoppington II, did you never stop to wonder why Lizzie is even interested in finding Daring in the first place? Which, might I add, makes it even more unlikely that she would be the perpetrator."

"Actually," he said turning to Lizzie who was still collecting herself, "why _are_ you so worried about finding him?"

"Um…" she said, hesitating. "I just am, okay. It's not fairy important."

"Oh, but it is!" I interjected. "Now, Lizzie, why don't you cooperate and elaborate on your obvious romantic relations with Daring."

"Wait…" said Hopper, "'romantic'? Are you guys dating or something?"

"Ugh, fine. I went on one date with him, but it was supposed to remain a secret. And then I saw him with Dutchess, that despicable wench."

"But," I added, "you clearly still have feelings for him."

"And so what if I do?"

"Wait!" Hopper interjected, "isn't he dating Apple?"

I turned and looked at Kitty, who wore a large grin as she enjoyed the chaos from Lizzie's surfacing secrets.

"Tell me, Kitty," her smile flattened as I spoke. "What is your interpretation of this information and what we have seen here at the so-called 'crime scene'?"

"Hm… Purr-haps Apple or Dutchess found out about Lizzie's secret, got angry at Daring, and then framed Lizzie? And if the lipstick was apple-flavoured…"

"Precisely. A very logical deduction, Kitty."

She let out a soft purr and smiled.

It was then that a loud crash sounded down the hallway followed by the scream of a young woman. The four of us ran out of Daring's room across the hall to see Cupid standing in the open doorway of Dexter Charming's room surrounded by broken glass.

"Cupid! What happened? Are you okay?" said Hopper.

"I was bringing a plate of heart-shaped cookies to give to Dexter, but when I opened the door…"

As she said this, I pushed past her to see Dexter's unconscious body lying on the ground. Above his right hand lay a small, glass bottle with half of its contents spilt on the floor, and a second identical bottle lay upon his desk, both reading "DRINK ME?". And, just like Daring's room, a red heart was drawn on the mirror encasing the word "RABE", which is German for "Raven".

"Oh, my roses!" exclaimed Lizzie upon seeing Dexter sprawled upon the floor.

I knelt down and placed my ear to his chest.

"No need to worry, he's only unconscious."

"Rabe!?" said Hopper, noticing the mirror. "Does this mean Raven did it or was she set up too?"

"Are you really that dense, Mr. Hoppington? First, Ms. Cupid, please tell me your relations with Dexter. Clearly you have romantic feelings for him, seeing as you baked him heart-shaped cookies. And I'm assuming that there is something you'd like to tell us regarding Raven and Hopper's relationship, correct?"

"Uh…" she froze, trying to take in everything I had said.

"Short and concise please. We haven't all day."

"Well… Yes, okay, I do have a crush on Dexter… But he has his heart set on someone else who doesn't return his feelings… that someone being Raven. Ironic, isn't it? Cupid, the goddess of love, unable to get the one she loves…"

"Please save your sentimental twaddle for later."

"Does that mean Cupid did it?" asked Hopper.

"Quiet, Hoppington. You're lowering the IQ of the entire school."

I turned to Kitty. "Kitty, do you like dogs?"

"What? That's… an un-hexpected question. Well, no, of course not. They're disgusting and stupid beasts. Cats are much better, naturally."

"I wholeheartedly agree with you. Now, would you be so kind as to find us a dog and teleport back here with it immediately?"

"Um… Okay?" she said with a confused look as she faded into nothing.

"Why did you ask Kitty to bring a dog here?" asked Lizzie.

"You will see due time, your Majesty-to-be."

Kitty reappeared with a small, grey-toned wolf in her arms.

"Isn't that Cerise's pet direwolf?" said Cupid.

"Maybe." replied Kitty with her insatiable grin of mischief.

She placed the wolf on the ground as it panted excitedly and wagged its tail. I took the bottle sitting on the desk, popped off the cap, and fed it to the dog. We waited and nothing happened. Then I grabbed the other bottle and fed the dog the remaining liquid from it. Within a matter of seconds, the dog's breath slowed drastically as it collapsed to the floor and passed out.

"Interesting." I said outloud to myself. "Brilliant, actually."

I started smiling and turned to everyone.

"I know who the perpetrator is!"

"You do?!" exclaimed Lizzy.

"To be honest, I knew from the beginning, but I was curious to see where this would lead, and I needed more evidence to support my intuition."

"Okay… so who was it?" asked Hopper impatiently.

"The perpetrator was no other than Kitty Cheshire."

"Kitty?! That's impossible!" said Lizzie.

"There's no way!" exclaimed Hopper.

"Let's start with the evidence, shall we? In Daring's room, the footprints I mentioned earlier were very widely spaced out and had no entry or exit point that coincided with the doorway or the windows. This would only be possible if the perpetrator jumped from place to place or if they had the ability to teleport, the latter being the more likely scenario. I also found in both rooms several hairs identical to the hair Kitty left on my desk in the library when she attempted to play one of her practical jokes on me. And if that isn't proof enough, I found a silver earring encrusted with an amethyst lying on the floor in Daring's room that I forgot to mention. Now if you'll notice, Kitty has an identical earing on her right ear yet her left ear is bare."

"But if she really did it, then how? And why?" asked Lizzie.

I looked to Kitty who stood in the corner in awe.

"Shall I do the honours?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I'm sure even Hoppington here can imagine the ways teleportation can be used to one's advantages. You can easily get away with taking things from other people, as you have seen with Cerise's direwolf. But what about something smaller, say… Lipstick? Yes, she stole the lipstick from Apple, teleported into Daring's room, and broke his mirror making him faint. Then she hid his unconscious body in the closet and used the lipstick to write a message on the mirror. She decided, however, to have a bit of fun with Dexter by playing a game. With one bottle containing a sleeping potion and the other containing water, she made him gamble. He, of course, chose the potion, passed out, and she wrote another message on his mirror. She then overheard you two talking about me, Aaron Holmes, and decided to play a prank on me so she could tag along when you two asked for my help with your silly mystery. And why did she do it, you ask? That's simple; she's Kitty Cheshire and she loves chaos. A practical joke based upon the secret romances she's learned about from spying on people around campus."

Everyone looked to Kitty who was still wearing her usual grin.

"He's right. He's right about all of it."

"Kitty, you really need to learn when a prank has gone too far! This is not funny at all." said Lizzie with a frown.

"As Aaron said, I love chaos, I'm the daughter of the Cheshire Cat. I couldn't help but set up a purr-fect prank as elaborate as this. You of all people should know this about me, Lizzie."

"But you used people's personal information against them. I thought I was your friend, and friends are supposed to keep each other's secrets and certainly not use them for their own amusement!"

"Not cool, Kitty." added Hopper.

Dexter started moaning as he awoke and Cupid kneeled on the ground next to him.

"Dexter! Are you okay?"

"Ow, my head," he said as he sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No one got hurt, both Daring and Dexter are purr-fectly fine. I don't see what the big deal is."

"My heart is hurt, and _I'm_ the princess of hearts!"

"Please," I interrupted. "Save your petty sentiments for when I'm not here."

"You're not much different from her, Aaron. You obviously care not for others and their feelings."

With this, Lizzie left the room followed by Hopper and Cupid who was helping Dexter to walk.

"She'll come around eventually," said Kitty.

"I like you," I told her. "You're smart and not as emotional as most people, and this prank you played was pretty impressive."

"Thanks, you're probably the only person who really understands me."

"I remember a quote your mother said in her story that I found quite sensible: 'I'm not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours'. I find most people fail to understand this."

"So you're a fan of the Cheshire Cat, are you?" she said with a sly grin.

"I think I'm more fascinated by Wonderland in general. I'd like to go there one day and perform experiments, to figure out how that dimension works, the mad physics of Wonderland."

"Interesting. I should take you there one day. By the way, can I have my earring back? It was…"

"A present from your mother?"

"Well… Kind of… More like a prank I played on my mom."

"So you stole them from your mother?" I said jokingly.

"I didn't _steal_ them, I simply borrowed them without her knowing."

I laughed and handed her the earring.

"If you want, I could help you with your pranks occasionally. To be honest, I do get awfully bored sitting in my room or the library every day where nothing exciting happens, save for what I read in books."

"Of course. Just call for me anytime," she said, and vanished into thin air.

And that was how I made my very first friend at Ever After High, or at least I assume that's what normal people would call a 'friend'.


End file.
